We mean no disrespect to our beloved wood-fired pizza places. These Neapolitan-style pies are the latest trend, and we couldn’t be happier with these puffy and charred crusts topped with melted fresh mozzarella and just about any topping you can think of. (Brussels sprouts, anyone?) But sometimes, you just want an old-fashioned… Read More →

Here’s the November roundup of breakfast places visited by the Westchester Breakfast Club. Due to all the turkey, the WBC didn’t have room in our stomachs for too much breakfast this month. So, we rounded out the Eldo’s triumverate with a trip to Eldorado Diner 3 in Scarsdale and The… Read More →

This is the weekend to fire up the grill and start flipping burgers, but before you stock up on propane or charcoal, re-think your routine. Vow to make this a break-out year — the summer you try grilling something out of your comfort zone — like pizza or pineapples. Or,... Read More →

Linda Lombroso has a very entertaining and informative story in today’s food section about making feather-light matzo balls. The best tips seem to be to be sure to separate your eggs, but don’t beat the whites too much, and handle the matzo balls as little as possible. Here’s a look:... Read More →

Good morning and happy Monday. I’m going to get straight to it today, since I’ve got a lot of other tasks needing my attention today. Emily likes Bangkok Spice in Shrub Oak. (NYT) A quick profile of Pon di Riva in Ossining. (NYT) Doug goes to Taste of Jamaica in… Read More →

In Mount Vernon, the Windmill Eatery has opened, where the popular diner Athena had been. Athena closed over six months ago, so Windmill’s opening in late August brings back a local diner option for the neighborhood. Co-owner Dimitrios Galanopoulos said the interior’s been given a major facelift, “with wood paneling,... Read More →

Azul Latin Fusion opened on Cinco de Mayo in the spot where Barcar Eatery used to be in the Fleetwood section of Mount Vernon. Chef Brian MacMenamin, who also owns the Post Road Ale House, is a partner: The restaurant is bright and cheery, with stonework around the walls and… Read More →

Good morning and happy Monday. I had quite the weekend. We had to remove a 60- to 70-foot tall Norway maple tree from our back yard after a limb fell on our neighbor’s roof! It’s always sad to see a mature tree go, but no one should have allowed this… Read More →

I’ve just reported on three new restaurant openings. Here’s a quick look, and links to the posts. Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Neopolitana opened November 2 in Yonkers. It’s the fourth outpost of the original, which opened in 1925 in New Haven. The coal-fired, brick oven pizza is popular the world over,... Read More →

Jean Parker and her family — former owners of Yvonne’s Southern Cooking — will open The House of Soul in Mount Vernon Saturday, Nov. 21. The restaurant will serve good, old-fashioned Southern dishes such as fried chicken, oxtails, smothered turkey wings and spare ribs. Chef Roy Dailey, who has been… Read More →

After Tim Henderson’s story on Jamaican food a few weeks back, Doug Watson gave me a call. He owns Poppy’s Deli in Mount Vernon with Rudy Guerrino, and he said they do jerk chicken like nobody’s business. He sets up a grill in the parking lot late nights (4 to… Read More →

Who loves jerk chicken? Here’s where to get it — and a recipe for how to make it at home — written by Tim Henderson. Tim tells me his former editor at the Miami Herald used to take him out to all the great jerk joints in Miami. Now he’s… Read More →

Â Good morning and happy Monday. I’m recovering from the Beer&Food festival this weekend. I was a judge in the firefigher cook-off, where the prize was a $10,000 Viking grill (yowza!) and then I hosted our chef demos on Sundays. I’ll give you tons of photos later today, but for now,... Read More →

Good morning and happy Monday. I spent a lot of it working (those dining guides again!) but went to a wedding on Saturday night. Tons o’ fun. Don’t you love dancing? Here’s what people have been talking about over the weekend. MH thinks Pinocchio in Eastchester is slacking quite a… Read More →

Bar Car Eatery opened in late July in the long, narrow space next to the MetroNorth station in Fleetwood, but the new American-eclectic menu is not designed just for commuters. The casual appetizers have a sense of humor â€” try buffalo chicken spring rolls and shrimp-crab cannoli. Dark wainscoting, inlaid… Read More →

Having planted a potager this spring, Jeanne Geraci of Mt. Vernon wanted to play around with the abundance of goodies that has been growing. What do you think of the recipe? Vote below. The reader favorite will win a cookbook. Want to enter the contest yourself? Click here: LoHud.com/LocallyGrown. The… Read More →

I heard from Joe Tantillo, the owner, who says they’ve got a sleek space, a great cocktail list and they make all their own ice creams and sorbets â€” which they also use in the cocktails. He calls the restaurant Bar Car because it’s right next to the train station… Read More →

This is Nigel’s second appearance on the Food Network. The first was a half-hour Throwdown; this time it’s an hour-long “Rematch on the Grill.” The press release: JAMAICAN NIGEL SPENCE TO COMPETE AGAINST CELEBRITY CHEF BOBBY FLAY ON NEW FOOD NETWORK SPECIAL MT.VERNON, NY (May 19, 2008)——Jamaican chef and restaurateur… Read More →